File:Tompsett Fabian 2015 Encyclopedism for Development.pdf

Otto Neurath (1882-1945) developed the approach of encyclopedism as an important tool to achieve the Unity of Science. This is examined in terms of his long term commitment to socialism and international development, understood as a decentralised economy in kind. Neurath's career is compared with that of his fellow Viennese economist Friedrich Hayek. The tension between Neuraths' socialism and Hayek's neoliberalism is analysed in relationship to the emergence of cybernetics. Neurath's commitment to participatory democracy is compared to Project Cybersyn, a cybernetic development project in Chile created on cybernetics principles. Neurath is shown to have an approach which presaged several examples of modern computing and internet practice. This is shown in the context of his involvement with both the Vienna Circle and the Figurative Constructivists. This suggests the cybernetic approach can still inform approaches to socio-economic issues in the field of Information and Communication Technologies and International Development.